THE FATAL ERROR OF TRANSLATING “KAPHAR” AS ATONEMENT AND
NOT AS PURGING OR CLEANSING.
THE CRUX OF THE MATTER:
Before going into the detail, like the Jews who knew a lot about the physical Messiah, but failed to recognize Him standing in front of them, here is the crux or core issue which reveals the truth to the tree of life, i.e. Jesus and that you are not chasing knowledge of good and evil e.g. about kaphar whilst continuing sinning. God said we shall surely die if we do that. We must not seek more knowledge, but the tree of life, Jesus.
The more we love someone, the deeper the grief and hurt
caused by a lack of love from or by unfaithfulness by the person we love. Some
people even kill the person who was unfaithful due to this deep hurt. An evil
parent is not deeply hurt by an evil child and even tolerate their child’s
evil, because the child takes after the parent and the parent is OK with evil
in himself. A good parent is deeply hurt by an evil child and strongly stands
and acts against an evil child. A righteous loving parent is devastated by an
evil child and will desperately try to correct the child.
Much more so is our holy Father in heaven, with His perfect
love, holiness and righteousness, deeply grieved, pained and crushed by every
sin of every sinner. He says He made us, He acquired us for His own, He kept us
like the pupil of His eye, He bore us on His wings as an eagle, He is the Rock
who bore us, He travailed in our birth, is married to us with a perfect love, He
is jealous for our love, etc. but our sins and unfaithfulness are like repeated
crushing adultery to Him. He asks: What wrong have I done to you or have you
found in Me that you left me for dead idols and false gods? Nevertheless, God
says no man will take his repeatedly adulterous and unfaithful wife back, but
He will take us back, if we would only confess, repent and return to Him. His
whole aim then is to send Someone who will destroy the head of Satan to purge,
cleanse and deliver us from sin to return to Him. He is even willing to suffer
and die to achieve this. This is what the word KAPHAR was meant to teach us.
However, if we still despise Him after all His efforts and
love, He will give us everlasting punishment.
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT:
The Hebrew word "Kaphar" (Strong’s H3722)
is one of the most critical words in the Old Testament, fundamentally shaping
one's understanding of the holistic message of the entire Bible, the Gospel,
sin, God's response to sin, and the purpose of Jesus Christ's blood and
crucifixion. This document demonstrates that "Kaphar," when referring
to blood sacrifices, has been widely and incorrectly translated as "atonement"
in most English Bibles, instead of its correct meaning of "cleansing,"
"purging," or "remedy for the defilement from sin".
The necessity of cleansing and purging from sin through the
blood of Jesus stems from God's absolute warning of the death penalty for
sin. This death penalty exists because the sinner rejects, rebels against,
and effectively kills their God in their heart and life, conflicting with God’s
command for holiness and the promise that Someone would come to destroy the
head of Satan to deliver mankind.
God accomplishes "kaphar" / purging through the
blood of Jesus when individuals deeply realize they have pierced, crushed, and
broken His heart and spilled His blood through their sins. When a person
remorsefully and deeply confesses this, repents from all sins, makes
restitution, and asks for forgiveness, deliverance, and cleansing from their
sins, God grants this, filling them with the Holy Spirit of Jesus Himself. This
transformation destroys Satan's hold (Satan's head in us is destroyed), enabling
the believer to love God wholeheartedly, live holy and righteous lives, sin no
more, rule over sin, and receive eternal life. The translation of
"Kaphar" as atonement is a spiritually fatal error that allows
for continued sin under the guise of "atonement" without
transformation, directly contradicting God's demand for holiness and His
pronouncement of the death penalty for sin.
I. INTRODUCTION
THE IMPORTANCE OF KAPHAR
The significance of Hebrew word "Kaphar" is
paramount because how it is understood determines one's entire view of
foundational theological concepts. It impacts beliefs about the fall of
humanity, the effect of sin on God, God's reaction to sin, the mission of Jesus
Christ (the Anointed Deliverer), and the process of achieving freedom from sin
and ultimate salvation. Understanding the true meaning of "Kaphar" is
vital for one's eternal destiny, as believing the truth is what sets us free. A
misunderstanding of "Kaphar" can lead to a fatal deception, where
individuals may believe they are saved because Jesus’ blood atones for their
past, present and future sins, ultimately leading to eternal death.
DICTIONARY MEANINGS OF KAPHAR
Dictionaries provide various meanings for H3722
"Kaphar," כָּפַר including: cover, expiate or condone,
placate or cancel, reconcile, propitiate, appease, make (an) atonement, pacify,
pardon, disannul, forgive, being merciful, purging, cleansing, remedies the
defilement, putting off. The King James Version (KJV) translates H3722 as
"atonement" 71 times, but also as "purge" 7 times,
"reconciliation" 4 times, "reconcile" 3 times,
"forgive" 3 times, and other terms. While "atonement,"
"propitiation," or "expiation" are common translations,
implying appeasement or reconciliation, "Kaphar" is also translated
as "purging," "cleansing," or "remedy for the
defilement". Gesenius’ Hebrew Chaldee Lexicon primarily mentions
"atonement" without "purging" or "cleansing".
BACKGROUND NEEDED FOR UNDERSTANDING KAPHAR
From the beginning, God established a clear command: "if
we sin, we will surely die". This divine law emphasizes the necessity
of holiness, stating that "without holiness we will not see God" and
"no unclean person will enter the New Jerusalem". Recognizing
humanity's failure, God, in His grace, promised a Deliverer. This Deliverer,
Jesus, was foretold to "crush the head of Satan" and
"destroy the works of the devil," thereby delivering, cleansing, and
freeing people from sin so that sin may stop and they would not die. This
overarching message underscores the profound need for cleansing and purging
from sin. The blood of animals purged and cleansed things, but could not
cleanse men of their sins; this foreshadowed the blood of Jesus who would
cleanse men of their sins —if men correctly understood the truth about His
blood.
THE FIRST SACRIFICE – THE LAMB OF GOD SLAIN FROM THE
FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD
The concept of Jesus as the Lamb of God "slain from the
foundation of the world" highlights the immediate and profound impact of
sin on God's heart. Humanity's sinfulness grieved and crushed the heart of
their loving, holy Father, spiritually "slaying" the Lamb of God
(Jesus, who is in the bosom of the Father) in their hearts. This spiritual
"slaying" by every sin was later openly demonstrated by His physical
crucifixion. God permitted this physical act to vividly demonstrate the utter
evil of sin and its murderous pain to Him.
THE FIRST SACRIFICE WHICH GOD ILLUSTRATED
After Adam and Eve sinned, God illustrated the painful effect
on Him and consequences of sin by peeling the skins off innocent lambs and
making coverings for them. This act was profoundly bloody, traumatic, and
heart-rending, signifying and displaying God's own "torn apart and bleeding
heart" due to sin. The physical pain from the hardening skins and constant
reminder of the "stinking and hurting" skins were meant to prick
their consciences, prompting a realization of the grief, wounds, and pain their
sins caused their Father. This act implicitly began a process of understanding
that sin caused deep crushing pain, spilled God's blood and life, and required
a deep, painful remedy and ultimately cleansing and purging of the sinner’s
heart from all sin through and because of the blood that flows due to sin.
WHY CAIN, ABEL AND ALL MEN STARTED SACRIFICING
All peoples and nations have a deep feeling and
consciousness of guilt after sin. This deep feeling of guilt further drives all
men, as seen in Cain and Abel, to start sacrificing in various ways, using the
sacrifice and skins to cover their shame and burning the animals to appease God
and sooth their consciences. This cannot and does not work, and sin continues
along with the guilt feelings. Mankind, after being sent out of God's presence,
sought ways to quiet their guilty consciences, fill the emptiness left by sin,
and to make up for their rebellion, leading to practices of sacrificing animals
and other offerings.
GOD’S PURPOSE BY WORKING IN MEN TO SACRIFICE
God's true purpose in instituting sacrifices was not for
literal payment or appeasement for Himself. Instead, His desire was for a
changed heart, obedience, righteous conduct, thanksgiving, a clean heart,
righteousness, justice, and mercy. The sacrifices man brought were meant to
illustrate that sin caused and resulted in the death of an innocent animal,
God’s lambs, which indicates what is done to God, God's pain over sin and
ultimately to the Lamb of God. The true intention was to lead individuals to
deep repentance, confession, and ultimately to purging and cleansing from sin
so that sin would stop.
WHY AND HOW ABEL SACRIFICED ACCEPTABLE TO GOD
Abel's sacrifice was accepted by God because he offered a
more excellent sacrifice due to his faith in God and because of a clean heart
that led to righteousness. Abel must have believed God that he was condemned to
death because of his sin, and that God expected them to rule over sin. He
likely grieved deeply from repeatedly slaughtering innocent lambs for covering.
Abel must have sought the promised Deliverer who would destroy Satan's head and
deliver him from slavery to sin. Abel understood that animal sacrifice was
insufficient merely as payment or appeasement. What is the use of taking a lamb,
which in any case belongs to God and kill it for one’ sins? He recognized that
sin must stop, and that animal blood could not cleanse the heart from all sin.
No deliverance from sin and righteousness is possible through
the law or the blood of animals, but only through the blood of Jesus. Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate
the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is
dead in vain.
However, at some point, Abel must have realized that the Deliverer God
sent daily to crush Satan's head was being "slaughtered" by Abel
himself with every sin, just as he slaughtered the lambs. He grasped that the
sacrificial lambs were all along an illustration pointing to the crushing grief
and murderous pain his sin caused God and the Lamb of God, Jesus. This profound
realization shattered his heart, leading to deep repentance, confession, and
apology, which God accepted and caused God to forgive and deliver Abel from
those sins. Abel’s heart
was finally cleansed and purged from all sin through the blood of Jesus —a
work Jesus does only through His blood if we see and confess He bleeds when we
sin. This understanding and God’s work and grace brought him forgiveness,
cleansing, and deliverance through the blood of the Lamb of God, making him
righteous and pleasing to God.
WHY AND HOW CAIN SACRIFICED BUT WHICH GOD REJECTED
Cain's sacrifice was rejected because he lacked the true
spirit of repentance and faith, offering it as a mere ritual or payment without
a desire for sin to cease or a broken heart over what his transgressions did to
God. God hates sacrifices brought while sin continues. Cain sought atonement to
cover sin rather than genuine purging and cleansing that would lead to sin
stopping, resulting in his continued sin, anger, and hatred until he murdered
his brother.
HOW THE JEWS SACRIFICED WHICH GOD REJECTED
Many Israelites offered sacrifices without genuine reverence
for God, and without deep repentance or a desire for sin to stop, frequently
seeing the animal sacrifices as adequate atonement, allowing them to continue
in sin, believing the blood would cover them or appease God. God expressed His
displeasure and hatred for such offerings that were devoid of a truly
transformed heart, obedience, justice, and mercy, calling this persistence in
sin with sacrifices an abomination. Is 1:10-20.
God desires a changed heart, obedience, righteous conduct,
thanksgiving, a clean heart, righteousness and justice, mercy, repentance, and
to love Him with all the heart. He seeks active goodness: to "Cease to do
evil, do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead
for the widow". This transformed heart is the direct result of purging and
cleansing from sin, not merely covering it.
THE SACRIFICES WHICH GOD HATES
God explicitly hates sacrifices offered alongside continuing
sin. He detests burnt offerings and blood sacrifices when iniquity is present,
calling them "futile sacrifices" and an "abomination".
Sacrifices offered as a mere payment or appeasement while individuals continue
to sin are abhorrent to Him, as He has no need for such offerings.
ABRAHAM’S SACRIFICE – WHY, GOD’S PURPOSE, THE EFFECT ON
ABRAHAM, THE RESULT
Abraham demonstrated belief in God's clear warning that he
would surely die if he sinned, and he believed in God's promise of a Deliverer
who would destroy the head of Satan. When God commanded Abraham to sacrifice
his only beloved son, Isaac, for whom he had waited 80 years, this command must
have tested him to the core of his being.
For three days, Abraham walked with Isaac to Moria, and
every step closer must have pierced and broken his heart, but He trusted God,
even that God will then raise Isaac from death. Isaac, by then a young man,
likely willingly climbed onto the altar, allowing his father to bind him and
extend his neck for the sacrifice. At that critical moment, God intervened,
sparing Isaac and providing *His* Lamb instead—a provision that foreshadowed
Jesus.
Abraham called the place Jehovahjireh, signifying that
"on the mountain of God, He (God’s Lamb, Jesus) shall be seen". Jesus
later affirmed that Abraham saw Him and rejoiced. Abraham experienced the
profound pain of sacrificing his beloved, but was finally spared to actually do
it. However God gave His own Lamb, Jesus to be slaughtered by Abraham and
mankind. Through this, Abraham experienced and understood the crushing, killing
pain God experienced from and how it slaughtered the heart and Lamb of God.
This profound realization caused deep mourning in Abraham
and so it fulfilled Zechariah 12:10-13:9 in him. The Holy Spirit caused Abraham
to look up to Him whom he had pierced (through sin) and to mourn bitterly for
Him as for an only child or a firstborn, as the deep mourning Abraham felt for
Isaac. A parent who lost an only child or firstborn, never forgets that. So,
and worse, the Holy Spirit pleads with us to feel about Jesus when we look op
to Him whom we have pierced.
On that mountain of ultimate obedience, and upon seeing his sins
piercing and slaying God’s Son, the fountain of Jesus’ blood opens against sin.
This results in deep confession and repentance and then in forgiveness,
deliverance, and perfect cleansing and purging from all unrighteousness,
including idols, false prophesies, unclean spirits, carnal loves, lies,
hypocrisy, and impurities. See Zech 13. This revelation totally destroys the
devil and sin in a person’s heart, delivering and cleansing him to never return
to sin, and making him righteous.
The Eternal Result:
Abraham's faith, proven through this experience, led to
God’s promise, sealed with an oath. God blessed Abraham with perfect
forgiveness, deliverance, cleansing, salvation, and eternal life, including
true righteousness and holiness. This promise signifies God's intention to
purify and sanctify His people, enabling them to serve Him in holiness and
righteousness all their days. Abraham's experience illustrates that true faith
leads to genuine transformation and a cessation of sin, aligning with "Kaphar"
as cleansing, purging, and removing sin by the blood of the Sacrifice, Jesus.
This fulfils Heb_10:14 For by one offering He has perfected
forever those who are sanctified.
The fundamental reason for the mistranslation of
"Kaphar" as "atonement" stems from a profound apathy
towards and disregard for the deep grief and murderous pain sins cause our
loving holy God and Father. Ps. 69 states it clearly and it is still true to
this day. Gen 6:5
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually. Gen 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man
on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Psa 69:9 For the zeal
of Your house has eaten Me up; and the reproaches of those who reproached You
have fallen on Me. Psa 69:20 Reproach has broken my heart, and I am
full of heaviness; and I looked for some to mourn with me, but there was none;
and for comforters, but I found none.
This apathy ignores the piercing, crushing, and murderous
effect of sin, evidenced by Jesus’ wounds that broke God’s heart and spilled
His blood/life, justifying the death penalty. This apathy and disregard allowed
sin to continue and removed the love, fear, and respect for God, resulting in
slavery to sin and deception by Satan. Satan's original lie, "you shall
surely not die if you sin," is promoted by interpreting "kaphar"
as atonement, covering, or overlooking, which provides a reason for God to
tolerate sin. This error is rooted in the subjective choices of misled
translators, influenced by their theology rather than scriptural context. Satan
actively inspired this mistranslation to propagate the lie that
"atonement" covers or pays for sins and to obscure and remove
sympathy for Jesus’s wounds, thereby neglecting the critical need for proper
repentance and actual cleansing and holiness.
IV. THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS
THE SACRIFICE OF LAMBS FORESHADOWING JESUS
The Old Testament animal sacrifices were designed to cleanse
and purge impurity from articles and sins of the people. These sacrifices were
imperfect; they could not truly remove sins or make people perfect, requiring
repetition, but they served as a foreshadowing of the Lamb of God. The moment
the person realized their act foreshadowed what was done to God's Lamb and His
blood spilled due to sin, leading to deep confession and repentance, the
ultimate cleansing and purging achieved through the blood of Jesus Christ would
occur. Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be
satisfied: by this knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities. If we have this knowledge that He
shall bear our sins, which will cause Him suffering, we shall repent and be
made righteous. This is evidenced by what happened in Acts 2-4 and 9 to the
Jews and to Paul on the road to Damascus.
V. THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS: PURPOSE, NATURE, AND EFFECT
The mission of Jesus Christ, the Anointed Deliverer, was to
come to earth to deliver His people from their sins, to "destroy
the works of the devil," and to set humanity "free
indeed" from sin. To achieve this, Jesus allowed all sins against God
to fall on Him. He bore the sins of the whole world in His body on the cross,
and His suffering was because of OUR transgressions and iniquities. God allowed
this sacrifice to physically illustrate the immense, murderous pain and grief
that sin causes Him and Jesus. Our sins pierced and crushed Him!
Zech 12:10-13:9 prophesied this. The Holy Spirit makes us
look up to Him whom we have pierced and the realization that our sins pierced
and crushed Him is meant to lead to deep remorse, confession, and repentance.
When individuals deeply realize and remorsefully confess this, thoroughly
repent, and make restitution, God forgives, delivers, and cleanses and purges perfectly from all sin through His
blood. This happened in Acts 2-4 and in Paul.
The purpose of His sacrifice is not for covering sins
so that they may continue, but to condemn sin in the flesh Rom 8:3, and to eradicate
them completely by showing it kills Him, thereby causing sin to become
absolutely condemned, evil and to stop.
This eradication enables believers to die with Jesus to sin and live for
righteousness. Continuing in sin after the cross of Jesus, deserves the death
penalty as God illustrated with Ananias and Saphirah after only planning to
lie.
This God-transformed state grants victory over Satan,
enabling believers to live holy lives and preventing spiritual death. The fruit
of this sacrifice is total transformation, forgiveness, deliverance, and
sanctification, leading to genuine righteousness and eternal life.
VI. PROOFS FOR TRANSLATING KAPHAR AS PURGING AND
CLEANSING
1. THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF SACRIFICES WAS FOR PURGING AND
CLEANSING FROM SIN AND NOT FOR ATONEMENT.
The primary purpose of sacrifices, as exemplified by
"Kaphar," was purging and cleansing. Leviticus 16:30
explicitly defines "Kaphar" in this context: "For on that day
shall the priest make a purging (kaphar / atonement) for you, to cleanse you,
that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD". This verse
unequivocally links "Kaphar" to the act of being made clean from all
sins. The concept of "Azazel" (the goat of removal) further supports
the removal of sin rather than merely covering it.
2. THE HOLISTIC MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE DICTATES THAT KAPHAR
SHOULD BE TRANSLATED AS CLEANSING AND PURGING FROM SIN AND NOT ATONEMENT.
The consistent message throughout the Old and New Testaments
is the cleansing and purging of and deliverance from sin through the blood of
Jesus. God’s unchanging demand is for holiness ("Be holy as He is
holy"), with a clear consequence for sin ("if we sin, we will surely
die"). Jesus' very name means "He will deliver His people from their
sins". In Revelation, believers are described as being "cleansed and
purged and freed from sin by the blood of the Lamb" and making their
"clothes white in the blood of the Lamb". This holistic view
necessitates actual cleansing through the blood so that sin may cease.
3. THE CONTEXT IN MULTIPLE SCRIPTURES DICTATES THAT
KAPHAR SHOULD BE TRANSLATED AS PURGING, CLEANSING OR REMEDY FOR THE DEFILEMENT
FROM SIN.
Numerous Old Testament scriptures, when read in context,
clearly indicate that "Kaphar" means purging, cleansing, or remedying
defilement.
- Psalm
65:3: "thou shalt purge (Kaphar) them away" in reference to
iniquities and transgressions.
- Psalm
79:9: asks God to "deliver us, and purge away (Kaphar) our
sins".
- Proverbs
16:6: states, "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged (Kaphar)".
- Isaiah
6:7: describes how "thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged
(Kaphar)".
- Daniel
9:24: speaks of "Kaphar for iniquity" alongside "to finish
the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to bring in everlasting
righteousness," implying a thorough purging.
4. MULTIPLE SCRIPTURES INDICATE THE WILL OF GOD IS
PURGING FROM SIN UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS, HOLINESS, MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICES FOR
ATONEMENT, COVERING OR APPEASEMENT AND SIN REMAINS.
God consistently expresses His demand for internal
transformation and abhorrence for mere ritual sacrifice, especially when sin
continues.
- "To
obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15:22).
- "I
desire mercy and not sacrifice" (Matthew 9:13, 12:7).
- Psalm
51:16 states, "For You do not desire sacrifice... You do not delight
in burnt offering," but rather asks to be "washed thoroughly
from my iniquity," "cleanse me from my sin," and
"create in me a clean heart".
- Isaiah
1:16 commands, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the
evil of your doings... cease to do evil".
5. NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS’ INTERPRETATION OF THE PURPOSE
AND EFFECT OF THE BLOOD OF LAMBS AND OF JESUS WAS CLEANSING AND PURGING FROM
SIN.
New Testament writers consistently interpret the blood of
Jesus as performing a cleansing, washing, purging, and delivering function from
sin.
- Matthew
26:28: Jesus' blood is "shed because of many for the forgiveness and
deliverance (Greek: Aphesis) of sins". Aphesis means
"forgiveness and deliverance" i.e. "cleansing".
- John
1:29: Jesus is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
world," directly linking Him to the removal and cleansing of sin.
- 1
John 1:7: Declares that "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin".
- Revelation
1:5: Jesus "loved us, and washed / cleansed / delivered / loosed us
from our sins in his own blood".
- Rev_7:14 And I said unto him,
Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of
great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb.
6. THE BOOK OF HEBREWS’ REPEATED INTERPRETATION AND
APPLICATION OF THE BLOOD OF THE LAMBS AND OF JESUS WAS CLEANSING AND PURGING
FROM SIN.
The book of Hebrews repeatedly confirms that the blood of
both Old Testament animal sacrifices and Jesus' blood is for cleansing and
purging from sin.
o Hebrews
states that animal blood was meant for cleansing and purging the impurity of
articles and people's sins, but could not do so perfectly.
o In
contrast, the blood of Jesus "would CLEANSE us perfectly and completely
and so make us holy and righteous, i.e. sanctifies and justifies us".
o Hebrews
1:3: States that Jesus "by himself purged our sins".
o Hebrews
9:13-14: "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a
heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how
much more shall the blood of Christ... cleanse your conscience from dead works
to serve the living God?".
o Hebrews
9:22: "almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding
of blood there is no forgiveness or deliverance / remission (Greek: aphesis =
forgiveness or deliverance from sin = cleansing)".
o Hebrews
10:1-2: Explains that the continual sacrifices of the law could never
"make those who approach perfect" because if they could, "the
worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins".
o Hebrews
10:4: Affirms "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats
could take away sins" (purge).
o Hebrews
10:10, 14: "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all... For by one offering He has
perfected forever those who are being sanctified".
o Hebrews
10:22: Encourages drawing near with a true heart "having our hearts
sprinkled (to cleanse) from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure
water".
o Heb
13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with
his own blood, suffered without the gate. (To be sanctified is to be purged
from sin with His blood)
o Heb
13:20 … through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you
perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is
wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen. (The covenant of God is that the blood of Jesus would purge us
from sin and perfect our works)
These passages clearly demonstrate that the purpose of blood
in the Old Testament sacrifices, and ultimately Jesus' sacrifice, was cleansing,
purifying, purging, removing, and remedying the defilement of sin and NOT
atonement and covering sin.
7. TRANSLATIONS THAT SHOW TRANSLATORS SUBJECTIVELY CHOSE
HOW TO TRANSLATE KAPHAR AND SOME DID CHOOSE PURGING BUT MOST CHOSE ATONEMENT.
Different translations of "Kaphar" demonstrate
subjective choices by translators, often influenced by their own insight,
belief, or theology.
- In
Psalm 79:9, translations are inconsistent: some use "purge"
(KJV, Jubilee Bible 2000), others use "forgive" (NIV, NASB), and
others use "atone" (ESV, CSB).
- Similar
inconsistencies are noted for Psalm 65:3, Isaiah 6:7, Isaiah
27:9, and Ezekiel 43:20, 26, and Daniel 9:24.
- The
KJV itself translates H3722 as "atonement" 71 times but
"purge" 7 times.
- This
variation demonstrates that translators "themselves decided on the
translation," often prioritizing tradition over clear scriptural
context and New Testament interpretations that point to cleansing and
purging.
- The
Hebrew Gospels has Matt 26:28 as follows:
The Greek is aphesis, which means
forgiveness and deliverance, which covers cleansing. English has remission
which the Amplified translates as forgiveness and deliverance. Translating
kaphar as purging or cleansing in Matt 26:28 will be perfectly in line with the
rest of the Scriptures that the blood of Jesus was spilled BECAUSE OF (Gr.
Peri) many for the cleansing of sin e.g. 1Joh 1:7. All this confirm that kaphar
can be and should be translated as cleansing or purging and TRANSLATORS
subjectively chose to use atonement.
VI. THE FATAL SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES OF THIS
ERROR
THE FATAL SIGNIFICANCE AND EFFECTS OF TRANSLATING KAPHAR
WRONGFULLY AS ATONEMENT
Translating "Kaphar" as "atonement" has
profound, damaging, and fatal effects.
- Contradicts
God's Commands: It directly opposes God's demands for holiness and the
death penalty for sin, by implying sins are merely covered or overlooked,
allowing them to remain.
- Promotes
Satan's Lie: It supports Satan's lie that one "will surely not
die" despite sinning, by teaching that Jesus' blood atones for sins,
appeases God's wrath, and pays debts, even if sin continues.
- Fosters
False Assurance: It leads billions to a false and fatal assurance of
salvation, believing they are saved through "imputed
righteousness" without needing actual transformation or cessation of
sin.
- Impedes True Deliverance: If one believes atonement means covering sin, they will never truly seek or find cleansing, practical righteousness, or holiness, which are essential to see God.
- God's Word is Marred: As Jesus' body was physically was "marred" and "wounded" on the cross by and due to the sin of the whole world, so the Word of God being "is marred almost beyond recognition" by wrong translations like "atonement". This analogy underscores the severity and impact of the translation error on the core biblical message.
THE FATAL SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES OF THIS
ERROR
The mistranslation of "Kaphar" as
"atonement" carries dire and fatal spiritual and eternal
consequences.
- It
causes people to disregard God's word that demands holiness and warns of
death for sin.
- It
leads billions to believe they are saved while actively sinning,
effectively sending them to hell under a false sense of peace and
assurance.
- It
allows and condones the continued grieving, piercing, and
"crucifixion" of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit through ongoing
sin, without true remorse or sympathy for His pain.
- It
promotes a "narcissistic, selfish or egocentric" view of Jesus'
blood, focusing solely on personal benefit while ignoring humanity's
culpability in His suffering and the need for sin to cease.
- Ultimately,
those who believe in "atonement" as a covering for sin, rather
than a catalyst for purging and cleansing, will not live a holy life and
thus "will never see God".
VII. CONCLUSION
The overwhelming evidence from the holistic message of the
Bible, the contextual usage of "Kaphar," and the interpretations of
New Testament writers, especially in the Book of Hebrews, undeniably
demonstrates that "Kaphar" means purging and cleansing from sin,
not atonement. The purpose of blood, as stated in Leviticus 17:11, is given
on the altar for the purging/cleansing/kaphar of the soul.
The blood of Jesus Christ was shed to CLEANSE, PURIFY,
PURGE, REMOVE, AND REMEDY THE DEFILEMENT OF SIN, enabling believers to stop
sinning, live holy and righteous lives, and ultimately inherit eternal life.
True faith in the true message of Jesus' blood leads to repentance, cleansing,
deliverance, and a life of holiness, without which no one will see God. This is
the “paradoxical power” of God in our hearts – if we realize and remorsefully confess
to our Father in heaven for causing Him extreme pain and death due to our sins,
the effects in our hearts and in God’s heart are most powerful.
1Co 1:17-18 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but
to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should
be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that
perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Co 1:23-24 But we preach Christ crucified, unto
the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them
which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom
of God.
That is why Paul did not want to know anything else. 1Co 2:2 For I determined not
to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. This is by far the most important
issue on earth.
SELA!
VIII. IN RETROSPECT:
God has revealed the true message of His cross to me since
November 1997 and the truth about kaphar since 2012 and has proven and
confirmed this message in my own heart and life and in the hearts and lives of
those who believed it.
Written by Faan Oosthuizen
September 2025
